Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Introducing Bek Harrington author of 'Vampires Revealed'


Rebeka Harrington
Author Biography
Raised in country Victoria, Rebeka started her writing career working for the local
newspaper as a teenager. While she decided not to pursue this as a career, she has always
enjoyed writing and being creative
With so many varied interests and eccletic taste in most things, Rebeka enjoys
incorporating all of them in her writing. She particularly enjoys writing about vampires.
Rebeka seeks to define and explain vampires in a way not done before. This has been
achieved with her debut title "Vampires Revealed". Following titles will revolve around
exploring the world and characters created in her first release.
Currently Rebeka lives in Melbourne with her “demented” but lovable cat, dividing her
time between writing and managing a small boutique entertainment agency.




 Welcome  to my blog. Thanks for being here today.
Other than ‘author’ what are three words you would use to describe yourself?
Firstly I’d like to say thank you for having me, it’s great to be here.  Three words, hmm… entrepreneur, organized, determined.

Do they influence you as a writer? Or the genre you write?
They each influence me because they are part of who I am.  If not for sheer determination I’m not sure I’d finish anything I started. :)  The only thing to really influence the genre I write is my own curiosity and interests. And at times, my very loud and demanding characters.

What is it about your chosen genre/s that fires up your muse?
My main character, Bektamun, is a 3000 year old vampire. She has lived and seen it all.  What a marvelous opportunity! There is nowhere in history I can’t take her and virtually nothing she can’t do.  The options are limited only by my imagination, that’s what really excites me.  Vampires can be contemporary or historical, good or evil, lovers or fighters. So even though I write about vampires, I’m not pigeon-holed to write in any one specific genre.

You are about to be published, what inspired your story?
Being a vampire fan and having read more than a couple of vampire books, I found myself wondering about them in detail. I had questions that hadn’t really been answered before. For example; who was the first vampire? How did it happen? What’s their lifestyle like? Do they have laws? What makes vampires tick? That sort of thing and heaps more.

Once I asked myself the first few questions so many more followed and I found a character developing inside my mind to answer them all.  Et voila, Bektamun was born and started telling me all about the history of vampires, along with other characters who help fill in the gaps so to speak.

Do you have a regime when writing? A special place, time, mood or do you snatch opportunities to pen ideas or write a few lines?
Hmm, that’s a tough one. Generally speaking an idea will simmer in my mind for awhile before I sit down to put it down on paper.  Although often while I’m writing other ideas or characters will come to mind and I jot those down to revisit later.
Or I will pace around the office “talking” to my characters until I feel I’m sure how to write a particular scene or chapter. Yes I’m crazy, I talk to my characters.

Does your Muse follow rules and plot lines or does she offer ideas on a whim?
All of the above. Honestly I’m a slave to my characters. They each know specifically what they want to say and do.  So no matter how much I want to outline a plot, my characters always have the final say.

Has there been one event in your life that changed/inspired your writing career? For example, meeting an author, finding a publisher, joining a critique group?
I had never really thought about publishing or sharing my work on a broad scale until my writing gained the attention of an established and successful author. It was her praise for my style and content that prompted me to get serious. Since then, the reaction I’ve received has been phenomenal. I feel so humbled that people enjoy reading what I so much enjoy writing.

Would you like to tell us about the main character of your book and/or the villain? Or would you like to share an excerpt? Either or both… we are keen to learn more about the story.
As you know, Bektamun is a 3000 year old vampire, tired of humanity’s fascination with vampires she decided it was time to inject some truth into the myth.. She is strong-willed and forthright, I think it safer if I let her speak for herself.

”My dear reader, please allow me to introduce myself.  My name is Bektamun, I am 3000 years old, I am a vampire.
What?  Nothing?  No trembling in fear?  Reaching frantically for a cross?  Not the jaw-dropping reaction that statement would have received even just a few decades ago.
Humans nowadays are nonchalant about so many things.  The creative minds of authors and Hollywood have been supremely successful, taking the world’s myths and horrors stories and making them passĂ©.  Humankinds blasĂ© attitude towards vampires, in fact their ever-increasing infatuation with the fictional portrayal of vampires, is exactly why I have to put the record straight.

For centuries I have watched as the lies about vampires spread like a cancer among humanity.  Do not deceive yourself, do not believe the myriad of lies sold to you by publishing houses, TV & Movie studios.  Vampires are real, and are very dangerous creatures.  You must peel the scales from your eyes and see the truth.  Ignorance is not bliss, ignorance may just get you killed.

Yes I can sense your scepticism, and no that is not a vampire “power”.  It’s only logical.  Why should you believe me?  Perhaps I am just another of those clever people, spinning tales from myth and legend for my own purposes.  For now dear reader I must beg for your indulgence and patience.
Join me on a journey exploring the past, the present and potential future.  Uncover the truth and learn about vampire fact.  As we take this journey together, all will be explained and all will be revealed.

By the time we reach our final destination together, you will know more about vampires than you imagined, and quite possibly more than you desired.”

Who is publishing your story?
I’m an independent author and proud of it.

Where can we get this book?
Currently available as an ebook (in multiple formats) at:
Smashwords - http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/86670
Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Vampires-Revealed-ebook/dp/B005LFQMNI/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1315369541&sr=1-1

How can we follow your career?
You can all the dirt on my characters and interesting information about vampires at my characters online home: www.vampiresrevealed.com, or follow by visiting www.rebekaharrington.com 

Bek, it has been great meeting you and your main character. Though she sounds a little scary. Thanks for participating.
Thanks for having me, it was great fun.


2 comments:

Wendy said...

An interesting interview, Rosalie and nice responses Bek. Your book promises to reveal a lot about the history of vampires. Fascinating. I wish you tons of luck with it and good for you, believing in yourself and your work.

Rebeka Harrinton said...

Thanks Wendy, I can only hope now it lives up to its 'promises' :)